Timber tong



C. M. SMOCK TIMBER TONG Filed May 13, 1957 May 12, 1959 INVENTOR. Car] MSm 0c United States Pare I g This invention relates to grapple mechanismand more particularly to a novel grapple or clamping mechanism forhoisting pieces such as timber pieces and the like whereby the liftingand transporting of-the pieces is greatly facilitated.

The grapple. or clamping mechanism of this invention is characterized byconstruction which enables the pieces to be gripped and hoisted by themechanism, and then stacked or piled adjacent an obstruction without thegrapple mechanism encountering the obstruction to be encumbered thereby.Further, the mechanism incorporates construction features whereby piecesare gripped and subsequently released with a minimum amount of rippingor tearing of the pieces, such as ordinarily occurs with conventionalgrapple mechanism.

Generally it is an object of this invention to provide a grapple orclamping mechanism wherein the clamping or tong members of the mechanismcome together and engage a piece of timber or the like in a novel mannerso that the top and only one side of the timber is gripped, therebyenabling the piece to be stacked adjacent an obstruction withoutinterfering with the operation of the grapple.

Another general object of this invention is to provide an improved chuckmechanism for the clamping or tong members of the grapple, operable tobiteinto and hold securely a timber piece, yet so arranged in theorganization with the clamping or tong members of the grapple that theyare readily released Without ripping across and tearing the piecehandled.

Briefly, the grapple or clamping mechanism of this in vention comprisesa pair of mutually pivoted clamping or tong members, pivoted relative toeach other so that the chuck means carried by each of the tong membersswings into and grips a piece of timber deposited between the members.One of the tong members has a supporting arm adapted to be laid acrossthe top of the piece to be handled when the grapple is lowered intoposition prior to hoisting the piece. Depending downwardly from thissupporting arm is a gripping arm carried by the supporting arm to oneside of the timber piece when the supporting arm is properly positionedover the top of the piece. The other of the tong or clamping memberspivots inwardly to engage the top of the timber piece when the grappleis hoisted from the ground. Thus the article handled is engaged by chuckelements which are carried by the tong members of the grapple at pointslocated on the top and to one side of the article.

The supporting arm is supplied with a hoist means located outwardly fromthe pivot connection for the two tong members, and positioned above thetop'of a piece of timber when the grapple is set to lift the timber. Aline trained about this hoist means and connected at its end to theother of the tong members is operable, when tensioned, to lift thegrappling device and the lumber piece therewith and at the same time topivot the two tong or clamping'members so as to bring the chuck elementscarried by the members together. The hoist means carice,

n'ed by the supporting arm is located in the vicinity of a new positionand deposited with the clamping members occupying approximately the samevertical positioning. after the timber is deposited as when the timberwasfirst hoisted.

The chuck mechanism for each of the tong or clamping 'members which gripinto the timber piece prior to lifting.

the piece each comprise a series of relatively short gripping teeth orprongs arranged in a row and adapted to grip. with relatively smallpenetration the surfaces of the timber piece. The gripping teeth arecurved in a novel manner, so that when moved by pivotal movement of theclamping members, they bite into or are released from the surface of apiece of timber without scraping of the teeth across the surface of thelumber so as to scratch and mar the surface. The grapple mechanism isreadily kicked 01f from a piece of timber after transporting of thetimber, the teeth of the chuck mechanism moving out of the lumber in apath conforming more or less to the curvature of the teeth. Thus,another feature of this invention is the inclusion in the grapplemechanism of gripping mechanism having teeth or prongs curved in a novelway so that theteeth enter and are removed from the article handled in apath substantially coinciding with the curvature of the teeth.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a clamping orgrappling mechanism wherein the mechaemployed most advantageously witharticles of various sizes.

Another object is to provide a grapple mechanism constructed andarranged so that it may be readily released from gripping a timber piecewhen it is desired to remove the mechanism after transport of the piece.

These and other objects and advantages are attained by the presentinvention which is described hereinbelow in conjunction with theaccompanyingdrawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a grapple mechanism embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is another side view of the mechanism in Fig. 1 showing theposition of the parts of the mechanism when it is gripping a pieceioftimber.

Referring to the drawings wherein an embodiment of this invention isillustrated, the grapple mechanism comprises generally a pair ofclamping or tong members indicated generally at 11 and 12, pivotallyconnected one, to the other as by pivot pin 13.

With reference to clamping member 11, this member comprises a supportingarm 16 adapted to be positioned over'the top surface of apiece oftimber, illustrated in. the drawings as lumber stick 14, when thegrapple is initally lowered thereon, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Afiixed'to supporting arm 16 and depending downwardly therefrom at an obliqueangle is a gripping arm 17. The grapple mechanism of this invention isparticularly adapt: ed for handling square timber, such as timber 14. Byplacing dependent gripping arm 17 at an oblique angle relative to arm16, the outer arm rides free of the sides Patented May 12, 1%59 of thetimber when member 11 is lowered over the timber, enabling the cornerofthe timber to move readily with a snug fit into the re-entering cornerdefined by the juncture of the inner edges of arms 16 and 17. The cornerdefined by these edges is ir'fdicated at 19.

The supportingand'gripping arms of clamping member 11 may convenientlybe prepared from channelshaped pieces of iron afllxed together as byweldingat a joint indicated by the dotted line 18. The upstanding.

the top of a piece oftimber when the grapple is lowered thereon,.and anactuating arm 22 projecting upwardly therefrom and spaced behindgripping or fastening arm 21 when arm 21 is moved toward arm 17 byrelative pivotal movement of members 11- and 12.

The width. of'clampingmember 12 is somewhat less than the innerdimension between upstanding. flanges 24'and 25 of supporting arm 16 andflanges 29, 30 of arm 17. This enables clamping member 12 to swing,

freely. inside the area bounded by flanges 24, 25, and flanges. 29, 30.Cutout portions 26 and 28 are provided inarms 16 and 17 to accommodatepivotal movement of clampingmember 12 relative to clamping member 11.Preferably actuating arm 22 of member 12 is somewhat longer than thegripping arm 21, so that While arm 21 can swingfreely below supportingarm 16, the end of arm 22 serves as an abutment meansinhibiting-pivotalmovement of member 12 relative to member 11 when the arm 22:.comes intocontact with a shoulder 27 defined by the edge of. cutout portion26.Fastening arm 21 swings betweena retracted'position, wherein the outerend of the arm is disposed above the base of supporting arm 16, past analigned position withthe supporting arm,ito a penetrating positionwherein the outer end of the arm is below the lower base of supportingarm 16.

The gripping arm of each of the clamping members is provided with chuckmechanism spaced outwardly from pivot pin 13. Each of the chuckmechanisms comprises a series of hooked prongs or teeth, indicated forarms17 and 21 at 31 and 32, respectively. These are removable toaccommodate replacement should the teeth become worn. In the embodimentillustrated, each prong includes at one of its ends a stud portion 33which is insertedthrough an accommodating bore formed in the grippingarm supporting the tooth. Each prong is affi'xed to its gripping arm bymeans of a nut 36 threaded onto the end of the stud portion. A series ofrelatively short teeth are used, and these are spaced in a row alongeach gripping arm. It has been found that such an arrangement of thegrippingprongs or teeth permits an excellent grip to be obtained withrelatively slight penetrationv of the lumber. The use of prongs whichonly slightly penetrate the lumber has-been found. to. decreaseinadvertent marringor scratching of the lumber.

. As; stated hereinbefore, each of the teeth are curved in a novelmanner which enables the teeth to enter and then be drawn out of thesurface which they engage, while moving in a path more or lesscoinciding with the curvature of the teeth.- That is to say, the teethmove into. and out of the lumber without appreciable shiftingof-the.teeth laterally ofthe lumber, such as would cause scratchingortearingof.thelumber. To this end, teeth 31.-of gripping, arm 17 arecurved about'aradialcenter substantially coincident with corner 19defined by the juncture of the inner edgesv of: supporting arms 16 andgripping: arm-17. As will be described hereinbelow, .pivotal movement ofclamping; member 11 takes; place-about a point more or lesscorresponding to corner 19. In this way, when teeth 31 are insertedintoa side of'a piece of lumber,'the path of movement of the teethcorresponds to their curvature.

Teeth 32 of gripping arm 21 are curved about a radial centersubstantially coincident with pivot pin 13 of the grapple. As will bedescribed hereinbelow, during operation of the device, clamping-member12 tends to pivot inwardly against a piece of timber about this pivotpoint. In this manner, the path of teeth 32 into a piece of lumberconforms substantially with the curvature of the teeth. Pivot pin 13, asillustrated in the drawings, preferably is situated outwardly of corner19 and slightly upwardly therefrom,.so that in. penetratingca piece oftimber, teeth 32 move for the most part in a more or less verticalplane.

Extending through flanges 29, of gripping arm 17 isa grip rodorhandle46. This. handle provides a means for. loosening. the grapple mechanismafter. a piece! of timber. has been transported, as will be described.

Adjacent. the. outer! end of' supporting arm 16 is a hoist meansindicated'at 47. Hoist means 47 comprises a pin 50'having expanded. ends48 and'.49 and mounted in flanges-24, 25 of grippingarm 16.. The"grappleofthis'invention is lifted up by means of aflexible line51, whichmay be a cable or rope trained about hoistipin 50 with its end afiixedto. the end. of actuatingarm. 22.

, The flexible line,,when tensioned, has the double effect of. pullingupwardly on the grapple mechanism, as well as..irnparting relativepivotal movement between clamping members 11 and 12 of. the mechanism.

Pin 50 is adjustable longitudinally along the length of gripping arm 17,enablingthe lift point forthe grapple to be positioned-over. the timberto be transported. To. this end, slots, such as slot 52, are provided inupturned flanges24, 25 of supportingarm 16. The upper. edgeof. eachofthe slotshasseatstor saddles 54 formed therein, spacedatregularlintervals along the top of the slots. When pin-50 is raisedvupwardly by-the action 0t the. cable or line reeved thereabout, the pinsits firmly into the seat selected.

The grapple mechanism of this invention may be-employed for lifting apiece of timber without having the timber cant orroll after it ishoisted. The grapple has perhaps its greatest utility withlumber pieceshaving a rectangular or square. cross section. Frequently with timberssuch as these, which may range for example from 6,11 10's to 12x 20s,-itis desirable to stack the timbers into. atpilewith succeeding pieceslaid closely adjacent the forming stack. The. grapple of this inventionenables the operator to grasp a-timber. piece, transport it, stack it,andthcn release it without interference from the al-' ready formedstack.

Referring to the drawings, in operation, the grapple is first loweredover a piece of timber until load supporting arm 16 of clampingmember 11rests over the top side of thetimber. Corner 19is fitted on the cornerof the timber. Gripping arm 17, whichdepends at an ob-' tuse angledownwardly from the supporting arm, lies to one side of the timber withteeth 31 carried by the arm out of engagement with the timber piece.This condi tion of the parts is illustrated inFig. 1.

Upon tensioning-of lineor cable 51 reeved aboutpin 50, clamping member11 firstpivots about corner 19' with curved teeth 31 carried by thegrippingarm for the member penetrating into'the sides of the timber.Penetration of the teeth continues until the'resistance' encountered bythe-teeth creates a reactionforce in line 51 urging actuatingarm. 22-ofclamping member 12: to rotate inaclockwise directiomin Figs. land2aboutapin' 13-. Pivotal. movement of. member-.12". causes" teeth 32carried -by;the.member to penetrate the-upper surfacc'of the timberpiece. Movement ofJthe teeth 31. and 32tinto' thetimber'continues untilthe teeth'become fully-lodged: Furtheritensioning of" line- 51"voperates 'to lift the grapple and the timber grasped thereby enablingthe timber to be transported. Pin 50, prior to fastening the grapple,

of the timber piece, the timber may be laid againsti'a,

stack of other timbers, without having parts of thegrapple mechanismbecome encumbered with the already formed stack.

When it is desired to release the grapple mechanism from a piece oftimber, the operator need only kick down on supporting arm 16, therebypivoting clamping member 11'about corner 19 so that teeth 31 are removedfrom the timber. Teeth 32 ofgripping arm 21 may then be loosened bypulling up on rod 46, thereby slightly to wedge apart the wood aroundthe teeth, subsequently relaxing the rod and then lifting the wholeassembly.

In summary, it will be noted from the above that when the timber pieceis finallyplaced after transport, it may be laid directly adjacent othertimbers without the necessity of strong-arming the piece over afterremoving the grapple mechanism. Further, the grapple mechanism isuniquely capable of release from timbers without the teeth of themechanism scraping across the surfaces of the timbers. The penetrationof teeth 31, 32 is maintained at a minimum by employing a plurality ofrelatively short teeth curved in the novel manner described.

If the grapple is to be used with a wide variety of lumber sizes,although a stationary mount for pin 50 may be adequate, it is preferablethat an adjustable mount such as the one illustrated be used, since thispermits positioning of the hoist pin more closely adjacent a verticalplane passing through the center of mass for the lumber.

As used herein, the phrase unrestricted re-entering corner refers to are-entering corner which is free of any member or part subtending thecorner thereby to close it oif.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A grappling device for timber pieces comprising a rigid first tongmember of substantially L-shaped configuration having an elongated,horizontal supporting arm and an elongated gripping arm joined at one ofthe latters ends to one end of said supporting arm; said gripping armdepending downwardly from said supporting arm and defining with saidsupporting arm a substantially right-angled, unrestricted re-enteringcorner adapted to be seated on the edge of a timber piece; a second tongmember having an elongated, substantially horizontal fastening armextending in the direction of said supporting arm with one end of thefastening arm adjacent said one end of said supporting arm and the otherend of the fastening arm spaced from said one end of said supporting armin the direction of the other end of said supporting arm; said secondtong member also having an elongated actuating arm rigidly joined at oneof the latters ends to said one end of said fastening arm and projectingupwardly at an angle from said fastening arm; pivot means pivotallyconnecting said one end of said fastening arm to said one end of saidsupporting arm for pivotal movement of said other end of said fasteningarm about said pivot means toward and away from said other end of saidgripping arm; said other end of said fastening arm pivoting between aposition spaced above, and a position spaced below the base of saidsupporting arm and within said re-entering corner; said other end ofsaid actuating arm being disposed above said pivot means throughoutmovement of said other end of said fastening arm between the twoaforementioned positions; said other end of said fastening arm and saidother end of said gripping arm pivoting about said pivot means insubstantially a common plane; hoist means carried by said supporting armadjacent said other end A of saidsupporting arm; flexible line meanssecured to said otherend of said actuating arm and trained about saidhoistmeans operable when tensioned to pivot said tong members inopposite directions; and gripping means secured to said other ends ofsaid fastening and gripping arms with the gripping means of'the two armsprojecting toward each other.

2. A grappling device for timber pieces comprising a rigid first tongmember of substantially L-shaped configuration; said first tong memberhaving an elongated,

horizontal supporting arm and an elongated gripping arm joined at one ofthe latters ends to one end of said supporting arm; said gripping armdepending downwardly from said supporting arm and defining with saidsupporting arm a substantially right-angled, unrestrictedreenteringworner adapted to be seated on the edge of a timber piece; asecond tong member having an elongated, substantially horizontalfastening arm extending in the direction of said supporting arm with oneend of the fastening arm adjacent said one end of said supporting armand the other end of the fastening arm spaced from said one end of saidsupporting arm in the direction of the other end of said supporting arm;said second tong member also having an elongated actuating arm rigidlyjoined at one of the latters ends to said one end of said fastening armand extending upwardly at an angle from said fastening arm; pivot meanspivotally connecting said one end of said fastening arm to said one endof said supporting arm for pivotal movement of said other end of saidfastening arm about said pivot means toward and away from said other endof said gripping arm; sm'd other end of said fastening arm pivotingbetween a position spaced above, and a position spaced below the base ofsaid supporting arm and within said re-entering corner; said other endof said actuating arm being disposed above said pivot means throughoutmovement of said other end of said fastening arm between the twoaforementioned positions; said other ends of said fastening arm and saidgripping arm pivoting about said pivot means in substantially a commonplane; hoist means; means mounting said hoist means on said supportingarm adjacent said other end of said supporting arm accommodatingpositioning of the hoist means longitudinally of said supporting armwhereby the hoist means may be placed over the center of gravity of atimber piece handled by the device; flexible line means secured to saidother end of said actuating arm and trained about said hoist meansoperable when tensioned to pivot said tong members in oppositedirections; and gripping means secured to said other ends of saidgripping and fastening arms with the gripping means of the two armsprojecting towards each other.

3. A grappling device for timber pieces comprising a rigid first tongmember of substantially L-shaped configuration; said first tong memberhaving an elongated, horizontal supporting arm and an elongated grippingarm joined at one of the latters ends to one end of said supporting arm;said gripping arm depending downwardly from said supporting arm anddefining with said supporting arm an obtuse but substantiallyright-angled, unrestricted re-entering corner adapted to be seated onthe edge of a timber piece; a second tong member having an elongated,substantially horizontal fastening arm extending in the direction ofsaid supporting arm with one end of the fastening arm adjacent said oneend of said supporting arm and the other end of the fastening arm spacedfrom said one end of said supporting arm in the direction of the otherend of said supporting arm; said second tong member also having anelongated actuating arm rigidly joined at one of the latters ends tosaid one end of said fastening arm and extending upwardly at an anglefrom said fastening arm; pivot means pivotally connecting said one endof said fastening arm to said one end of said supporting arm for pivotalmovement of said other end of said fastening arm about said pivot meanstoasses-11 ward andzaway frorn saidflother end of said" gripping'arm;said other end of said' fastening: arm pivotin'g; between a positionspaced above, andJ-a position-spac'ed below the basefiof said supportingarm t and within said re entering cornersaid other endof saidactuatingarm being disposed above said-pivot means throughoutmovenientof said other end of said fastening arm between the twoaforementioned positions; said other ends'of said fastening armand saidgrippingarm pivoting" about said pivot means in sub-- stantially.a-comm'on plane; a first series of relatively short" teeth mounted onsaid other end of said fastenwith r slight penetration;v the teeth; of asaid I second series said firs t series curvingl'a'bout atradialicentersubstantially coinciding with the pivot axis of; saidr'pivot means;hoist means carried: by saidxsupp'or'ting arm adjacent saidother: end ofsaid supporting'arm; and flexible line means secured to said other endof said actuating arm and trained about said hoist means operable whentensioned to -p'ivot'said tong members in opposite'directions withthe-first and second series of teeth swinging toward each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1;165;8'93' Munn Dec. 28,1915 2,370,528

Fontaine Feb. 27 ,11945

